


What You Need For a Wedding

by Coppercurls



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Anxiety, Bittle Family Fourth of July, Coming Out, Established Relationship, M/M, rating for light language and one homophobic slur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 17:16:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11406939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coppercurls/pseuds/Coppercurls
Summary: Bitty makes a shocking announcement at the Bittle Family Fourth of July





	What You Need For a Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place around a year after Bitty graduates  
> Warning: homophobic language and description of anxiety  
> Disclaimer: This wonderful world belongs to Ngozi :)

The fourth of July used to be Bitty’s favorite holiday. It was full of relaxed company and conversation, an absurd amount of food, and explosions that painted the sky in a way that gave Bitty hope, for some odd reason. Over the years, however, he became an adult, and the conversation hid thinly veiled barbs, “Oh, Dicky, yes, we love your pies, but wouldn’t you rather be out grilling with the boys instead of listening to us ladies chatter?”, and the fireworks just offered a reprieve where Bitty could stop smiling and wonder what a different life would be like.

And this year was far more stressful than just that. 

It had started on a regular day in late January, with Bitty stammering through a proposal instead of letting the ring the ring he had bought burn a hole in his pocket any longer. It had been Jack running into their shared room of their shared apartment and running back, tears streaming down his face as he nodded like a bobble-head, and shoved a ring onto Bitty’s left hand, and Bitty returned the favor a moment later before they dissolved onto the floor in tears and laughter and kisses and half spoken confessions of love.

It had started with a video call to his parents. “Mama! Daddy! I proposed! Jack proposed! We’re engaged!”

His mama’s shriek nearly covered Coach’s, slightly teary eyed, “I’m so proud of you Junior.”

It had started with over an hour of chatter and planning, before his mother’s face froze mid- sentence. “Dicky, you’re gonna have to tell everyone.”

It had started with Bitty freezing in terror, just for a brief moment, before whispering “How?” to his parents, who both just looked at their son for a moment, all of their faces caught mid-fall, a moment stuck in limbo.

“It’ll be alright, Junior, we won’t stand for anyone saying anything about you, or Jack.”

“They won’t have a place in our house, or our family, if they do,” his mother added vehemently.

Bitty sat, wishing his parents wouldn’t have to put their relationship with their families on the line for him, but he knew it was necessary. If the computer had buffered in the minutes to follow, it would have captured determined and grim faces, but after a plan was formed, the somber mood was shoved aside for more overzealous planning, with even Coach chiming in with increasing regularity.

When Jack came home from a practice and a meeting a few hours later, Suzanne and Coach were still video chatting with Bitty. His arrival renewed a round of congratulations, but this time cut short with a wink from Coach and Suzanne telling the boys to “enjoy the rest of your evening, dears”.

“So,” Jack says, letting his head fall into Bitty’s lap. “I take it that went well?”

Bitty snorted. “Of course it went well. They love you, sweetpea.”

Jack hummed, and nuzzled into Bitty’s stomach. Bitty smiled down at him and carded his hands through Jack’s hair absently.

“They do want me to tell the rest of the family, though.” Jack’s eyes snapped up to Bitty’s and he studied him.

“Are you going to?”

“Yeah,” Bitty sighed. “I don’t think everyone will react badly, and I do want to invite as many of them as possible.” Jack nodded, but stayed quiet. Sometimes Bitty took a few moments to get his thoughts together enough to voice them, and that was especially true when he was nervous about something. “I think I’m going to make an announcement on Independence Day. Our whole family is always there.”

“Do you want me to come?”

Bitty stayed quiet for a moment. “It would probably be easier if you weren’t there. Some of them are bound to be nasty enough without dragging your name through the mud. And even the ones who react well won’t keep quiet about you. They’ll want to brag.”

“By then, we might not have to worry about that.” Bitty’s fingers tensed where they were in Jack’s hair. Jack looked up at him with a smile, taking in Bitty’s shocked expression with ill- concealed glee.

“Jack Laurent Zimmermann! And you wouldn’t tell me what your meeting was about you absolute sneak! What did y’all decide?”

Jack laughed. “Well, I was talking to George and Shannon, that’s our head of PR, and they agreed that after the season ends would be a good time.”

“Are you sure? I know y’all haven’t been having the greatest season, and what if this just adds to the bad publicity?”

Jack sat up, and turned to face Bitty face on. “Bits. We won the cup last year, which was also my first year as captain. It’ll be easy to ignore anyone who says that being gay has made me a bad player, and this way we won’t have to deal with the hype of a win on top of the hype about the first out player. I’m ready for this.”

“Okay, honey.” Bitty leaned forward, his lips just a hair away from Jack’s. “I love you so much.”

And Jack took that opportunity to kiss his fiancé thoroughly.

~~~  
The morning of the fourth passed as it always did, a frenzy of preparation they put off too long. Moomaw came over earlier than the rest of the family, as usual, to help them. Coach, though he was always quick to offer his help, was sent off to the store for a few last minute purchases and then sent off to check their grill (it never needed any maintenance, but Coach had learned long before that he was more helpful out of the way).

The rest of the family (both Phelps and Bittles) started arriving around three. This year, Bitty avoided the adults as much as was polite, instead keeping an eye on the little ones as they ran about, even starting a few games himself to convince some of the kids to stop hiding behind their mothers’ legs. Needless to say, he was scared witless, constantly running his thumb over where his engagement ring rested, quick to shove his hand out of sight whenever someone might notice it.

He considered taking his ring off completely, but even just for baking, it felt like a part of him was missing.

Dinner came quickly, with Bitty only having to endure twenty or so conversations about his “fancy new job in Providence” or “there have to be some good gals up North there, huh, lil Dicky”. Once dessert came, Bitty only had a few bites of his blackberry cobbler while watching the rest of his family eat and talk and laugh. He waited until everyone was nearly done before he stood and cleared his throat. His entire extend family slowly came to attention.

Bitty was suddenly terrified, and tried frantically to remind himself that no matter what, his parents would support him. It would be ok.

“Hi, y’all,” he started, forcing his voice to stay smooth. “I hope you’re having a good time, and that everyone’s enjoying the food.” No one said anything, but Bitty could tell they wanted him to get on with it so they could move to their favorite part of the evening, setting shit on fire.

“Well, I have an announcement, and I wanted to tell everyone before too much time had passed and it got awkward.” Bitty steeled himself, then closed his eyes. He could be brave with his eyes closed. “I’ve recently got engaged. The wedding’ll be next June.”

To say that chaos broke loose would be an understatement. Thirty or so (everyone older than the age of sixteen) people started chattering excitedly all at once, both at Bitty and about him. He knew Southern weddings were no joke, but it had been five years since Kim’s, so the force of it all surprised him.

Naturally, questions about Bitty’s fiancé soon drown out the rest of the conversation. “What’s her name?”, “Where’s she from?”, “How did you meet her?”, “She must be one hell of a girl for you to lock yourself down already, Dicky” (some of his male relatives were under the impression that he was a player). Bitty waited until it was mostly quiet, and everyone looked at him expectantly.

“My fiancé…” Bitty started, his voice catching in his throat. “I proposed… in January. H- his name is Jack.”

The silence was broken by one of his uncles, Coach’s oldest sister’s husband. “I always knew you were a fucking faggot.”

Bitty didn’t realize he was falling until he was slumped in his chair. The weight of inevitability settled on his chest, and he felt himself spiraling, his eyesight zeroing in on two seeds sat on the edge of his cobbler, the ice cream long melted in the heat. Each breath caught in his throat, and he thought he might have to stop breathing entirely, just for a moment, just until he had room. A pressure on his shoulder, one not caused by anxiety, grounded him. 

Another hand rested on his other shoulder, and Coach spoke. “Clay, I’m asking you to leave. As well as anyone else who had an issue with my son or his new fiancé.”

Clay shoved himself angrily from the table, his chair knocking over as he stood before he stormed out. His wife followed him, as well as their two kids, and various other family members. Bitty wasn’t surprised to see any of them go.

However, he was surprised by the vast majority staying in their seats, staying silent until everyone who was going to leave was gone.

It was his Aunt Judy that broke the tense silence. “What flavor will your cake be?”

And suddenly the silence was gone, and the chatter was back. Aunt Judy, Moomaw, and Suzanne were in the thick of it all with his five-year-old cousin, who was convinced that Jack and Bitty should leave their ceremony riding unicorns. Bitty chimed in, mentally checking people off who were no longer there, and trying not to notice how a few of his relatives, mostly uncles and older male cousins, seemed to be staying out of the conversation completely, small frowns on all of their faces. 

As soon as Moomaw caught sight of his ring, she squealed, and tried to get details about Jack. Conversations broke off after that, the typical cohesive chaos of a family gathering settling back into place. Bitty smiled. All in all, his coming out had gone better than he had feared.

Late that night, as the last tired scraped down his driveway, Bitty pulled out his phone and called Jack.  
“Honey, I did it, we’re okay, we’re going to get married.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please Note: The word count on this is 1776, aka, the year the Declaration of Independence was signed, I don't know how this happened but I am extremely pleased.  
> I am aware I am optimistic. Let me live in my "Good things will happen to good people" world  
> A lot takes place off screen in this fic, and tbh, that's because this wasn't planned at all, I wanted to write something for the 4th of July on the 4th of July, so I apologize for it being a mess  
> This was not what I though I was going to write today  
> But, regardless, I hope y'all enjoyed and have an excellent day!!!


End file.
